We had a the chance this week to interview Jaime Talamante who is a Senior Associate at New York Life. New York Life is graciously sponsoring our event tomorrow in which we will discuss Diversity in the Newsroom with Hugo Balta, executive producer from ESPN.

Jaime, tell us more about how you got into the financial services industry.

Jaime Talamante, senior associate at New York Life.

What attracted me most to the career, was that I really like people. I’m not one to be locked away at a desk or cubicle. I need to be out and about to be truly successful and happy in my profession. Financial services has given me the opportunity to be out and about with the community at large. I really value building and maintaining relationships and (financial services) is a relationship driven business. Besides that, I am a graduate and devout fan of ASU (Arizona State University), and have a professional insurance licence in life and health.

What inspired you to work for New York Life?

What really drove me to choose New York Life was that they actually went the extra mile to put their money where their mouth is as far as looking to reach and provide financial assistance to the Hispanic market. With this company it starts at the top and goes all the way down. I joined them because they are authentic in their interest in working with the Hispanic market and they are in it for the right reason. More than anything I like being involved in the community and was pleased that New York Life would offer me the opportunity to do all of that.

What is New York Life looking for as far as financial service professionals in the Hispanic market?

My company is actively looking for sales and service professionals to provide financial services and education to the Hispanic community. The exact title of the job is Financial Services Professional. It is a great and rewarding role as this agent will be responsible for providing education and financial literacy to Hispanic families who may not have had the opportunity to gain this information fully in the past.

What attracts your agents to work for New York Life?

There are so many interesting stories of how our agents come to join, and then love my company. Many times individuals have reached a glass ceiling at their last position and want more. I often hear is that people are looking to take control of their time, and looking to be independent with the backing of a respectable company, and ours (New York Life) is over 100 year old company. Also, the superior training they receive as a member of New York Life is another great reason to join. Finally, these agents have the opportunity to spend time bettering the community and are encouraged to keep their antennaes up for more people who may be interested in a career change.

How should people interested in a career with New York Life express their interest?

The best thing to do would be to email me and I would take them through the process. This is the best way as I will personally answer their questions and make sure they feel completely comfortable with their interests in New York Life. My email is: jaime_talamante (at) newyorklife.com. Alternatively, interested folks can apply and find out more online at: http://www.newyorklife.com/latino/hispanic-market-join-our-team

About Jaime Talamante:

Jaime Talamante is a native of Arizona. He grew up and attended school in Gilbert where his immediate family still resides. He is an alumnus of Arizona State University and currently serves on the Latino Alumni Association Board of Directors, Los Diablos. In 2008, Talamante was awarded as one of the 40 under 40 Hispanic Leaders. He is the founder and organizer for AZ Latino Professionals, a networking outlet for professionals. He is a past vice president for the Hispanic Business Leadership Council; a founding board member for AZHOSA (Arizona Health Occupations Students of America) and involved with his church. Professionally, he is a Senior Associate for New York Life’s Latino Market and has been involved in sales and marketing for over nine years.

About New York Life:

New York Life is among the largest mutual life insurance companies in the United States. New York Life has a history notable for consistent financial strength. In times of economic challenges, we stand out as a formidable company with the financial strength and security to be there when our clients need us most. As a mutual company, we report to our policyholders. This is the key to providing good service because it aligns our interests with those of our customers, who play such an integral part in our 165-plus history. We are dedicated to being the company of choice of the Latino community with a strong bilingual support program for our financial professionals.